Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Jefferson County, West Virginia

Thomas J. Smith
Federal Highway Administration
January 14, 2014

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 14, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2504-2505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00455]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Jefferson County, 
West Virginia

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

[[Page 2505]]


ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), the US Department of Transportation, Federal 
Highway Administration (FHWA), intends to prepare a Supplemental Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) and Supplemental Draft Section 
4(f) Evaluation for proposed improvements to US Route 340 in Jefferson 
County, West Virginia.

DATES: To ensure that a full range of issues related to the proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments 
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments and 
suggestions concerning the proposed action and the SDEIS should be 
submitted to FHWA or West Virginia Department of Transportation, 
Division of Highways (WVDOH) at the address below or through the 
WVDOH's Web site at www.transportation.wv.gov within 30 days to ensure 
timely consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jason Workman, Director, Office of 
Program Development, Federal Highway Administration, 700 Washington 
Street, E., Charleston, WV 25301; telephone: (304) 347-5928; email: 
jason.workman@dot.gov or Ben Hark, Environmental Section Head, 
Engineering Division, WVDOH, State Capitol Complex, Building 5, 1900 
Kanawha Boulevard, East, Charleston, WV 26305; telephone: (304) 558-
2885; email: ben.l.hark@wv.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    1. Description of the Proposed Action--The FHWA, in cooperation 
with the WVDOH, will prepare a SDEIS for the US 340 Improvement Project 
in Jefferson County, West Virginia. The proposed limits extend from the 
existing four-lane section of US 340 southwest of the Virginia/West 
Virginia state line to the existing four lane section of the Charles 
Town Bypass (US 340) south of Charles Town, West Virginia, 
approximately two miles north of the community of Rippon. The total 
length of the proposed project is approximately four miles.
    2. Alternatives--Alternatives under consideration in the SDEIS will 
include: (1) Taking no action, and (2) constructing a four-lane, 
partially controlled access highway on new location. Various alignment 
alternatives will be evaluated to address land use changes that have 
occurred since the DEIS was prepared. Effects of these new build 
alternatives on the human and natural environment will be analyzed and 
documented, based on the results of new preliminary engineering studies 
and public and agency comments.
    3. Scoping and Review Process--A notice of intent announcing the 
preparation of an environmental impact statement was published in the 
Federal Register on February 9, 1996. A Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) and Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation was approved by FHWA 
for the proposed project in November 2001 (Federal Project NH-
0340(030). A SDEIS is now needed because of the length of time that has 
elapsed since the DEIS was approved and because of changes in land 
usage in the project area during that time.
    As part of the earlier study, a formal scoping process was carried 
out. The results of that process will be reviewed and updated through 
coordination with the appropriate jurisdictional agencies. In addition, 
a Purpose and Need report was prepared for the proposed project. The 
purpose of the proposed project is to address safety deficiencies along 
the two-lane section of US 340 and to improve system linkage between 
the existing four-lane segments of US 340 north and south of the two-
lane project segment. The 2001 DEIS documented that a highway 
improvement on new alignment was the most effective way of achieving 
the purposes of the proposed action. Several new alignment build 
alternates were developed and compared to the no-build alternative 
during the development of the DEIS.
    4. Significant Issues--Based on preliminary information, the issues 
to be analyzed in the SDEIS are likely to include, but are not limited 
to, the effects to above ground and buried Historic Properties; effects 
on threatened and endangered species, surface water and groundwater 
resources, including aquatic habitat, water quality and wetlands; 
effects on the immediate and adjacent property owners and nearby 
communities; effects on socioeconomics and land use; transportation 
impacts; and cumulative and secondary effects.
    5. Additional Review and Consultation--The SDEIS will comply with 
other Federal and State requirements including, but not limited to, the 
Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21); Section 404 of 
the Clean Water Act (CWA) State water quality certification under 
Section 401 of the CWA; protection of water quality under the West 
Virginia/National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System; protection of 
air quality under the West Virginia Air Pollution Control Act; 
protection of endangered and threatened species under Section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act (ESA); and protection of cultural resources 
under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
    6. Availability of the SDEIS--A SDEIS will be available for public 
review and comment. Individuals interested in obtaining a copy of the 
SDEIS for review should contact the FHWA or WVDOH. A workshop public 
hearing will be held during the SDEIS review period. Public notice will 
be given of the times and places for the hearing. Comments will also be 
accepted through the WVDOH Web site at the URL provided above.

    Authority:  23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing 
Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on 
Federal programs and activities apply to this program.)

    Issued on: January 6, 2014.
Thomas J. Smith,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Charleston, 
West Virginia.
[FR Doc. 2014-00455 Filed 1-13-14; 8:45 am]
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